Compton and Bloomfield
About this property
The Morris Arboretum & Gardens of the University of Pennsylvania (37 ha / 92 acres) is the official arboretum of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Arboretum is open daily except for major holidays. It is located at 100 East Northwestern Avenue, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Arboretum was formerly the estate of John T. (1847-1915) and Lydia T. Morris (1849-1932), a brother and sister who purchased and landscaped much of the arboretum's current site beginning in 1887. John Morris was interested in growing plants from around the world, including those collected in China by E. H. Wilson around 1900, and many of today's specimens date to Morris' original plantings. The estate became a public arboretum in 1933, after Lydia Morris' death. Today the arboretum contains more than 11,000 labelled plants of over 2,500 taxa, representing the temperate floras of North America, Asia, and Europe. Significant collections include native azaleas, conifers, hollies, magnolia species, maples, roses, and witch-hazels. The arboretum has identified 15 trees in its collection as outstanding specimens: Abies cephalonica, Abies holophylla, Acer buergerianum, Aesculus flava, Cedrus libani var. atlantica 'Glauca', Cercidiphyllum japonicum, Fagus sylvatica f. pendula, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Pinus bungeana, Platanus × hispanica, Quercus alba, Tsuga canadensis f. pendula, Ulmus glabra 'Horizontalis', Ulmus parvifolia, and Zelkova serrata. Compton Mansion (aka Morris House, 1887-1888, demolished 1968) Dawn Redwoods - Species of trees once thought to be extinct now found. English Park (circa 1912) - mainly planted with species collected in China, with significant collections of maples, witch hazels, dogwoods, cherries, and stuartias. Fernery (1899) - an 8-sided glass house said to be the only remaining free-standing Victorian fernery in North America. Morris "hired Japanese garden makers Kushibiki and Arai to arrange one hundred tons of local Wissahickon schist into rockery formations resembling a cave or mountain cliff accented by delicate waterfalls, a flowing stream bed, and a goldfish pond." He ordered his ferns from London experts William and John Birkenhead and botanically grouped and labelled the 523 fern and 47 Selaginella (club moss) varieties. Garden railway - G scale trains and trolley cars running on 45 mm track (1¾"), and representing railroads throughout history, including freight and passenger models. Greenhouse - closed to the public; little now remains of Morris' original structure. Hillcrest Pavilion - Restrooms, drinking fountains, and picnic benches with Hillcrest Avenue running behind it (hence the name).
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Compton and Bloomfield listed on the National Register?
Compton and Bloomfield was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 22, 1978.
What type of historic resource is Compton and Bloomfield?
Compton and Bloomfield is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Compton and Bloomfield?
The period of significance for Compton and Bloomfield is recorded as the listed era.
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